United Arab Emirates: industry on the ground
Ruwais, now often called Al Dhannah and about 240 km west of Abu Dhabi, is an ADNOC industrial complex centred on a refinery inaugurated in 1982, with gas processing, fertiliser and petrochemical plants.
The IS-04Z1 is a Zone 1 and Zone 21 handset for UAE field crews and the people who equip them: offshore operators, maintenance technicians, HSE advisers and telecoms teams. Launch is Q4 2026, so what we can share now is the specification, the certification schedule and an evaluation unit. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for United Arab Emirates, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for United Arab Emirates: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | United Arab Emirates: Ruwais, Habshan, Das Island | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in United Arab Emirates. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS United Arab Emirates market guide covers.
Ruwais, now often called Al Dhannah and about 240 km west of Abu Dhabi, is an ADNOC industrial complex centred on a refinery inaugurated in 1982, with gas processing, fertiliser and petrochemical plants.
Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman is the world's second-largest bunkering hub, with two oil terminals commissioned in 2006 and 2010.
The total area is about 83,600 square kilometres, and south and west of Abu Dhabi vast sand dunes merge into the Rub al Khali.
The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology handles conformity declarations for safety, valid for one year, with a local representative required.
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In United Arab Emirates. Intrinsic safety suits long rotations at offshore and island sites such as Das, Zirku and Upper Zakum, where a spare is a helicopter away. A handheld that limits ignition energy lets crews take photographs, record position and communicate in the zone, collapsing radio, camera and torch into one signed-out device.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
The market guide for United Arab Emirates covers Ruwais, Habshan, Das Island, Zirku Island, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Yes. Telecom equipment needs TDRA type approval, valid for three years, with a compliance mark and supplier registration; no local testing is required. Confirm the latest rules per model.
Salt pans along the coast can accelerate corrosion, and summer heat is intense inland and on the coast. Choose devices with corrosion-resistant housings, sealed connectors and high operating-temperature ratings, and rinse and dry them after exposure to salt air.
Android 16 with EMM and MDM support is designed to let IT enrol, restrict and update the unit from the operator's own console. Check compatibility with your specific EMM product during an evaluation, and agree the policy for contractors who return devices at demobilisation.
Other guides for United Arab Emirates, other places in United Arab Emirates, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.